


Of Streets and Strangers

by theshyauthor



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Ferris Wheels, Gen, M/M, Magic, Mentions of Mental Illness, Mystery, Non-Consensual Kissing, Phandom Big Bang, Phandom Big Bang 2016, Weird fiction, one mention of war, unreality
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-16
Updated: 2016-11-16
Packaged: 2018-08-31 10:04:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8574082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theshyauthor/pseuds/theshyauthor
Summary: Dan discovers a street that he swears hasn’t been there the day before, and he discovers a man stumbling out of the street unlike any man he’s ever met before. Intrigued by the odd happenings that no one else around him seems to notice, he befriends the man and discovers that not everything in this world is quite like it seems.





	

**Author's Note:**

> It’s finally time to post my PBB 2016 story. :D I’ve had the opportunity to work with [obsessed-not-possessed](http://obsessed-not-possessed.tumblr.com) who made beautiful art for the story and [natskindacrisis](http://natskindacrisis.tumblr.com) who was an amazing beta and I’m so glad I did, they are absolutely lovely people and I really enjoyed working with them! So thank you guys.

Dan knows the way to work like the back of his hand. It’s a fifteen-minute-long walk that he takes almost every day from his flat to that dingy diner he works at. He’s been walking this route for months now. So clearly he must be going insane or maybe he’s overworked, because there’s suddenly a new street he passes on his way home. It’s 2 a.m. and he’s tired. If he were drunk, he’d blame it on that; surely this street he’s seeing all of a sudden is just an illusion. It’s enticing, he feels like it pulls him in, calls him to enter unknown terrain. But when he tries to bring his legs to walk in that direction, it feels like he’s standing face first against a wall and can’t take another step forward. Dan shakes his head and continues his way back home, ready for a shower, as he smells of greasy cooking oil. He can’t wait to get in bed.

The street is still there the next day, although it’s not really a street; it’s more like an alley, and Dan can’t see to the end of it which is strange, considering it’s a straight street. It’s narrow, and there are no trees, only lamps and trash cans; there are no cars driving or people walking on it. Once more Dan tries to take a step into it, but again he finds his feet stuck to the floor, and no one around him is paying attention to the fact that there’s a random street that just showed up out of nowhere. Or maybe it’s been there all along, and Dan was just unobservant. Or maybe reality isn’t at all what he had always thought, and for a short second his heart beats unreasonably fast at that possibility, before he shakes his head and tries to banish the thought away. Dan is just a dreamer, that is all. There is no such thing as streets appearing out of nowhere and perfectly fitting themselves between houses. There is no such thing because it is impossible.   
__

A few days later Dan has come to terms with the fact that apparently, for months of his life, he passed a street without acknowledging its existence. Sometimes he side-eyes it, notices that he never sees cars or people in it, but then he just shrugs the thought off and moves on. 

That is, until one day, Dan finally sees someone come out of the street - or more like tumble out, because the tall stranger with black hair and pale skin almost trips and falls over, before catching himself with a relieved laugh. 

He looks up at Dan and smiles lopsidedly before saying, “Hey, you’re the guy that’s sometimes staring at this street for minutes,” and Dan’s taken aback, because he didn’t think anyone had noticed. Furthermore, how could this stranger have seen him look at the street when he had never seen anyone in there? 

“Who are you?“ Dan asks, puzzled.

The stranger thrusts his hand out towards Dan to offer it for a handshake. “Oh, I’m Phil. I’m from Manchester, but I live in this street!“

And then he looks around as if he’s searching for something or someone, blue eyes seemingly scanning every detail of his surroundings. 

“You don’t happen to know where we are at the moment?“

Dan opens his mouth, and then closes it again, wondering if maybe engaging this strange young man into conversation was such a good idea after all, because obviously something is not quite right in his head. So he takes a tentative step back, very small as for the stranger not to notice, and forces a smile as he says, “We’re in London.“

Excitement sparks in the stranger’s vibrant eyes and his face lights up. “ Excellent. I’ve never been here before, but I always wanted to visit.“

Dan takes another tiny step back; clearly this guy needs some help. 

“Didn’t you just say that you live there?“ he asks hesitantly and points towards the street.

“Ah, yes I do. But you see,“ he leans closer and there’s a twinkle in his eyes as he whispers the next words as if telling a secret, “the street moves.“

“I think maybe you’ve had a bit too much to drink,“ Dan says and takes yet another step back. He can’t smell any alcohol on the guy’s breath though, so maybe it is drugs or he is simply a lunatic. Either way Dan just wants this guy to get lost. It’s late and he’s tired, work has been stressful tonight, and all he wants now is to take a shower and go to bed. 

He sidesteps the man and continues his way home, but the stranger doesn’t seem to understand that Dan wants to be left alone. He follows him like a lost puppy. 

“I’m not drunk,“ Phil says cheerfully, “it’s just a magic street.“ 

Definitely drugs then, or he’s just crazy. Whatever it is, Dan wants this guy to leave him alone. One of his hands holds on tight to the strap of his backpack; this is London and it’s the middle of the night. He’s not naive enough to think this guy won’t try to rob him. Dan just hopes he won’t become violent, because the lunatic is almost as tall as he is, so Dan can’t count on height as his advantage. 

“Get lost,” Dan mutters and walks off, not looking back. The stranger doesn’t follow him and Dan’s glad about that.  
___

Two nights later, on his way home from work again, the weird guy is leaning against a lamppost, eyes trained on Dan as he walks closer. For a second Dan considers changing to the other side of the street, but then he just squares his shoulders and looks straight ahead when passing Phil. 

Dan’s already past him when he starts talking, and Dan tenses but doesn’t stop walking, there’s only a slight stutter in his step. 

“You’re back again,” he sounds delighted. Dan bites his tongue, he doesn’t want to answer. “I’d like to think it’s because you wanted to see me again, but in reality it’s probably just the street pulling you back in.“

“This is my way to work. I pass here everyday.“

“Don’t be a spoilsport. At least let me think it was my dashing looks drawing you in.“

Dan snorts at that. The stranger isn’t bad looking, but he’s not really Dan’s type. That’s because Dan doesn’t fancy people that have obviously lost their mind. 

He can hear footsteps behind him and walking under a streetlamp, Phil’s shadow is visible to him, but he’s still far enough away for Dan not to see him from the corner of his eyes, only in the reflection of shop windows.

Scared to turn around and confront this maniac, because he doesn’t know what the guy is capable of, Dan counts his options: First, he could just go straight home, but that would risk Phil finding out where he lives. Second, he could walk around the city for as long as it takes for this guy to get lost or tired and, hopefully, stop following him; but Dan himself is tired from work and his feet hurt, so he doesn’t really want to do that. Third, he could walk into a police station hoping that would scare Phil off, or that the police might tell him to leave Dan alone. He doesn’t want to bother the police though as they surely have bigger problems to deal with. After much deliberation, he reluctantly takes option two, and instead of walking straight ahead he turns to the right. A harsh wind blows through the streets and he tries to shield himself with the collar of his jacket. Thirty minutes of walking and some remarks from Phil, who still walks a few steps behind him, later, Dan’s finally alone. He only vaguely knows this part of the city. Getting back to his flat takes him an additional forty-five minutes, because he’s lost and his mobile phone has no battery left so he can’t use Google Maps for orientation. Dan comes home drained and in a bad mood, and although he reeks of sweat and fried fish and feels disgusting, he doesn’t take a shower but falls into bed right away.   
___

Dan knows the old woman sitting on table 103. She always sits there when it’s empty, either that one or table 2. If none of them are empty, she looks very uncomfortable sitting somewhere else. She has dark grey hair that she wears in a bun and clothes that look as if they are from another epoch. She always orders a glass of the cheapest white wine along with some hot water and also fish and chips. After she orders, she always puts her hand on Dan’s shoulders and tells him that he doesn’t have to hurry and that she has time. Dan likes her. She’s a nice contrast to the usual crowd in this restaurant, always rushing and urging him on to be faster. He’s just taken her order when the entrance door opens. Dan turns around to greet the newest customer, but the words are stuck in his throat as he sees who it is. It’s Phil. Dan does believe in coincidences, but right now he’s not sure that Phil casually walking into the diner he works at can be called one. Does Dan have a stalker? But why would he have one? 

Going back to the counter to pull two beers and get the white wine for the old lady, Dan makes sure to not let Phil out of his sight. To his dismay the guy picks the table closest to the counter that falls under Dan’s service today. 

Dan ignores him for the time being. He knows that’s rude, but he still prefers checking up on every other customer he has at his tables before actually going over to Phil. 

“What can I get you?“ he asks, all traces of the friendliness he usually tries to muster up for customers gone. 

Phil’s entire face lights up as Dan stands before him and Dan just wants to punch him.

“I don’t have any money,“ he gets as an answer. 

Homeless then. Homeless and crazy. Most likely drugs. Dan is like ninety-nine percent sure at this point that Phil is doing drugs. He doesn’t look homeless though. Sure his clothes seem a bit outdated, but they look clean and don’t show any holes, and his hair is combed. There are no signs of dirt on his skin either. 

“I’m sorry but if you can’t order anything then I have to ask you to leave.“

“The street provides me with food and drinks,“ Phil says, but Dan hasn’t even asked. He doesn’t care how this guy survives. He really just wants to be left alone by Phil. 

“You need to leave.“

“But I like it here.“

Dan sighs. He’s glad he’s checked up on all his other tables now, because clearly this might take a while. As if he hasn’t had a bad enough day at work already. The kitchen messed up someone’s order twice and he’d been on the receiving end of the customer’s anger, and then there had been the man who complained that the bottle of red wine he had ordered, which Dan had just taken out of the red wine fridge specifically there for keeping red wine bottles stored at the right temperature, was way too cold. 

“Still, you can’t stay here if you don’t order anything, and you can’t order anything if you don’t have the money to buy it.“

He’s honestly surprised by the look of dejection on Phil’s face. 

“When did the world start being all about money?“

“It’s always been that way.“

“No, it hasn’t. There was a time when it wasn’t everything humanity thought about.“

Dan sighs and turns away. He doesn’t want to have this discussion now. He goes behind the counter and gets out a bottle of Coke along with a glass that he brings back to Phil. 

“Don’t tell my boss about this,“ he mutters under his breath. Thankfully, there are no other customers sitting at the two tables beside Phil’s or otherwise he wouldn’t have been able to do this. Maybe after this Phil will leave him alone. 

Phil doesn’t leave him alone. He sits at the small table and nurses his Coke for hours. Some of Dan’s co-workers give him curious looks, but they don’t mention it. By the time the diner is about to close, Dan has to go up to him and ask him to leave. 

“Of course,“ Phil says and empties his glass before getting up, “I don’t want to be an inconvenience.“ 

It takes Dan everything to hold back from saying that Phil is already one, but he manages to hold his tongue and musters up his best fake smile. When Phil walks to the exit, he follows two steps behind him to make sure that he’s really going to leave. 

“Thanks for everything, Dan.“

The door closes behind Phil and Dan freezes, because how does this weirdo know his name? He must have listened when one of Dan’s colleagues called him. The last thing Dan wants was for this guy to know his name. He returns back to the counter with thoughts racing through his head and one of his co-workers looks at him worriedly and asks if he’s okay. Dan nods mechanically, but he’s really not. Lost in thoughts, he starts cleaning the coffee machine, one of his least favourite activities to do after the doors of the diner close next to sorting cutlery and polishing knifes. 

When Dan steps out of the diner with the rest of his co-workers, the air is cold. It’s a chilly September night and he curses himself for not having taken a jumper with him. He’s been living in London for most of his life, he should know that warm days are never guaranteed warm nights as well. He says goodbye to his colleagues after locking up and walks left while they all turn right. Too engrossed in checking on his social media, he never realizes the person leaning against the wall ten steps down his way that starts trailing him, until he notices the long shadow on the floor after passing a street lamp. Everything tenses in him as he suddenly becomes aware of how close the footsteps are. He speeds up, and so does his follower. 

“Phil?“ he asks quietly, and for the first time since meeting the strange man he hopes that it’s indeed him following and not some person getting ready to mug him. 

“Hello Dan,“ comes the answer, and Dan’s almost relieved except for the fact that this weirdo is still following him. He silently wonders if it’s about time to actually contact the police about this. 

Dan doesn’t answer. He puts his phone away and keeps up the fast pace he’s taken on. Phil stays quiet as well, and so they walk for a while until they pass by the street that’s apparently always been there but Dan just can’t seem to remember. He hates how much time a day he spends trying to recall any memories of it. Sometimes when he does trivial things such as eat lunch or do the dishes, he’ll try to think of his way to work. He can name all the streets he passes. This one just doesn’t ring a bell though.

“I’m home. Goodnight, Dan.“

Dan is so lost in thought that he hasn’t realized that the footsteps following him stopped and that he can’t feel Phil’s presence behind him anymore. He turns around to see Phil with one foot already in the street, hands casually in the pockets of his jeans. Dan blinks, because for a second he thinks that he saw Phil’s left leg, the one already in the street, starting to blur before his eyes. Surely it’s just because he’s tired. There’s no other explanation for it. 

“What’s the name of the street?“ he finds himself asking, because he can’t see a street sign and he doesn’t remember. Why doesn’t he remember this damn street if it’s been here all along? 

Phil smiles at him brightly. “It doesn’t have one.“

Dan huffs out an annoyed breath. “Yeah, whatever. G’night.“ 

On his way back he feels like his head is spinning. He doesn’t want to admit it, but Dan thinks he might actually be slowly losing his mind.   
___

Surprisingly, after that night Dan’s life goes back to being boringly normal. Phil doesn’t show up anymore. He doesn’t come to Dan’s workplace and he doesn’t wait for him at the corner of the street. The trouble with Dan’s flatmate, whom he barely sees or even knows, continues because that idiot broke the washing machine and his job is as stressful as always. In his free time he sits in front of the TV and watches shows so idiotic he feels like they might be killing his brain cells one by one, and he keeps having trouble sleeping at night. He still passes the mysterious street on his way to work and can’t help but raise his gaze from the ground to look inside every time he passes it. He never sees anyone there. The shop windows look lifeless. There are cars parked in it but he never sees one actually drive. Sometimes he has the feeling that the sky over the street is a few shades off from the sky above him. 

The next time Dan sees him, it’s at work, two weeks later. It’s raining outside and when Phil enters the diner, he’s drenched to the bones. He shakes his head like a dog would do to get rid of the water droplets in his hair and sends Dan’s coworker Sarah - who’s looking at him judgmentally for dripping all over the floor - a charming smile. 

“Hi Dan,“ Phil greets him enthusiastically. Dan just waves him over to one of the tables he’s assigned to this evening. 

“I’m guessing you don’t have any money with you again?“ he asks and takes notice of how Phil’s wearing the same clothes as the last time he’d seen him, still clean-looking. 

Phil shakes his head as he sits down, seemingly not bothered at all by the fact that he’s as wet as a drowned rat. 

For a second Dan’s tempted to tell Phil to leave, but it would be rude to kick him out in this weather and Phil hasn’t bothered him for two weeks, so he lets him stay and brings him hot chocolate with whipped cream on top. Phil’s eyes light up like a child’s on Christmas Eve when Dan puts the mug in front of him.

“Don’t tell-“

“-your boss, I know. Thank you, Dan.“ And Phil sounds so sincerely thankful for a stupid mug of hot chocolate that Dan just mutters a “You’re welcome.“ under his breath before turning away to take care of his other guests. 

Business is slow that night. The diner provides its workers with food, but usually there’s so much going on that Dan doesn’t have the time to eat dinner until after they’ve locked the doors. Today, however, his colleague pushes a plate into his hands around 10 p.m. and tells him to have dinner with his friend. When Dan realizes that Phil is said friend he wants to protest, but his colleague misunderstands it and assures him that he’ll keep an eye out on Dan’s tables while he eats.

When Dan asks awkwardly if he can join Phil, he almost hopes that the strange black-haired man denies his request. His hopes are crashed when Phil hurriedly gestures for him to sit down on the chair opposite his. 

“So, where have you been the last few days?“ Dan asks half-heartedly while eating. He almost chokes on a few french fries when Phil answers him.

“The street wouldn’t let me go.“

Surprised but not wanting to let it show, Dan just shakes his head slightly, his voice heavy with sarcasm when he says, “Yeah sure.“ 

“It gets jealous easily and thought that I’ve been spending too much time outside. So it kept me inside for a while to spend some time with it. Sometimes it’s really needy like that.“

Dan wonders if maybe there’s a hospital with a psychiatric ward in the street, if Phil is actually a patient that just figured out how to escape from there. By now he thinks that’s the most likely explanation. Poor man, a little bit screwed up in the head. When Dan sees him like this in the artificial lights of the diner and not just in a dimly-lit London street, there’s nothing dangerous about Phil. His blue eyes look kind as does his smile. Dan feels sorry for him; the least he can do is treat him nicely. There’s still the risk that Phil might become violent, but so far Dan hasn’t seen any signs for that happening. He’ll have to call his friend PJ, who works in the psychiatric ward of a hospital in Brighton, and talk to him about this. 

“I’ve been standing at the edge of the street though and waved at you every time you walked by,“ and suddenly Phil’s voice turns from bubbly to carrying a hint of sadness, “but you never waved back although we sometimes even made eye contact.“ 

Freezing in his movements, Dan’s dinner is now completely forgotten. Something doesn’t add up; he has looked into the street multiple times, that much is true, but he has never ever seen anyone standing there. He would have noticed, he has perfect eyesight, for fucks sake. He has never seen anyone there, standing or walking or much less waving at him. How could Phil say he had been there doing just that?

“I was standing by the lamppost next to the laundry shop.“

And there is a laundry shop on the left side, right at the beginning of the street. Dan knows that because he’s payed attention to every detail every time he walked by; he knows because he’s slowly becoming obsessed with this street. If Phil had really been standing there as he claims, Dan must have seen him but he doesn’t remember seeing him

“I’m sorry I didn’t wave back,“ Dan answers dumbfounded. 

“That’s okay. I’m used to people not really seeing me, it happens quite a lot. As I said, the street is needy and sometimes just lonely, it likes to keep me to itself.“

Dan doesn’t know how to reply to that, so he just keeps eating his salad instead of responding. He watches Phil take a sip of what must already be a cold chocolate by now. His hair is almost dry but his clothes are still a bit wet. 

“If you drink up, I’ll make you a new one,” he offers and watches as Phil downs half the mug in three big gulps. He keeps his promise and brings Phil another one once he’s done eating. The smile on Phil’s face is as warm as the first rays of sunshine after a long cold winter. 

It’s not a surprise when Dan finds Phil waiting for him outside the diner on his way home that night, trailing two steps behind him again like the last time. Dan slows his pace and they walk next to each other. 

Arriving at the street, Dan turns to Phil to say goodnight only to notice a look of uncertainty cross Phil’s face. 

“Do you- do you want to come into the street with me?” Phil stumbles over the words. He speaks fast and looks sheepish, hands behind his back and bouncing up and down on the heels of his feet. “I’ve never really had anyone come over, but I think if we asked the street nice enough it would allow you to enter.“

“That’s a very kind offer from you, but I’m tired and I just want to go to sleep.“

Phil nods his head frantically but he’s not good at masking his feelings. It’s easy to spot the disappointment on his face, the way the corners of his mouth drop and his eyes lose a bit of sparkle.

“I can visit another time though,“ Dan is quick to say before he can stop himself. He doesn’t know why he’s offering, but the look of disappointment and even a hint of sadness doesn’t suit Phil’s face. “I don’t have any plans for the weekend. We can meet up Saturday afternoon and you can show me your erm- home.“ 

Disappointment makes place for utter happiness again and if that is all it takes Dan’s willing to give it to Phil. At this point he just feels sympathy for the other man. It’s not his fault that he is the way he is after all.  
___

Phil doesn’t show up at the diner for the rest of the week and Dan’s glad about that because he can’t continue to give that guy free drinks. It could cost him his job. He would have preferred having Phil at his table though over the drunk man that was asleep when his food arrived and then managed to sneak out of the diner without paying. Thankfully the drunk man’s bill had been relatively small and Dan’s manager had not demanded he pay it. He needs to save money for a new fridge. The one in the flat isn’t broken yet, but the gurgling noises it makes at times sound very suspicious. 

He talks to PJ on the phone for over an hour and most of the time the topic revolves around Phil. PJ claims not to know any psychiatric wards around the area Dan lives in but he does agree that it sounds like Phil could be a patient that has gotten away. 

“Be careful when you meet up with him, okay?“ PJ says when they are about to hang up. “He might be violent at times. The other week we had four policemen bring a girl at the age of nine. She kept kicking and biting and fighting them and we had to put her into isolation for half an hour until she calmed down enough for us to talk to her.“

“I’ll look after myself, don’t worry. Thanks for listening, PJ, you’re honestly a great friend.“

Maybe Dan makes sure to hide a can of pepper spray in the pocket of his jacket when he meets up with Phil after talking to PJ on the phone. He’s heard enough stories from his friend who takes care of mentally ill people for a living to know that being prepared can’t hurt. 

He’s a bit early and so he waits leaning against the wall, looking out at the street and the cars passing by. 

“Hello Dan.“

Not having noticed Phil approach him, Dan almost jumps a mile when he hears the other person’s voice so close. Despite his height, Phil must be able to move like a ninja, because his footsteps had been completely silent.

Dan wants to say hi as well, but the words get kind of stuck in his throat when he looks at Phil. His black hair is still a tad bit too long and the haircut odd-looking, but it’s now hidden under a dark-red beanie. Black-framed glasses are perched on his nose and he’s wearing a dark green bomber-jacket and a white t-shirt with a simple black design underneath it. The blue jeans that were too big for his frame and looked like they came from the eighties have been replaced by black skinny jeans and he’s wearing white vans now. Dan has noticed before that Phil isn’t exactly bad-looking, but now he looks downright sexy.

“You changed your clothes,” is the surprised reply that does come out instead of a more appropriate ‘Hello’.

“I did. Do you like them? I saw someone walk by yesterday wearing these clothes and I just had to have them.“

That sounds ominous, especially considering Phil stated that he does not have any money. 

“So how did you get them?“

“I asked the street to give them to me and it did.“

Slowly but surely Dan starts to get irritated by those sentences; he never knows how to reply. Phil shifts awkwardly in a way that makes Dan suspect he’s not entirely comfortable in those black skinny jeans. 

“Shall we go?“ he asks to switch topics and Phil nods enthusiastically. 

“I’ve got so much to show you.“ His voice is full of excitement as is his face, his cheeks tinted slightly red and a smile on his lips that’s becoming a permanent feature. 

Together, they walk a few steps towards the street and while Phil continues on, one foot already on the pavement of the street - it’s grey nuances lighter than the ones of the other street - Dan suddenly stops. He doesn’t intend to stop though. Every fibre in his body is screaming go, but his feet feel like they are glued to the ground. His brain says move, but he doesn’t physically respond. Phil turns around to him and the smile instantly drops from his face.

“I thought this might happen,“ he sighs and that sentence doesn’t help Dan’s confusion. He’s suddenly panicky; why won’t his body respond the way it’s supposed to anymore? He sees Phil on the other side, having already stepped into the street, and just like the other night it looks like his form is starting to blur at the edges. 

“I can’t,“ Dan looks at him helplessly and then at his own feet, “I can’t walk. I’m trying, but I don’t know how. Why can’t I walk anymore?“ His voice gets louder with every word and passer-bys give him strange looks, but Dan couldn’t care less. 

As if forced by a higher power, his body suddenly takes a step back, and then another one. And then it’s all over and Dan has control over himself again, but he finds that although he can step back, to the right and to the left, he’s not capable of taking a step towards the street. 

Phil’s next to him in a heartbeat, one hand on his shoulder to steady him as Dan stumbles a bit.

“What the fuck was that?“ Dan screeches loud enough for Phil to wince and an old woman passing them to tell him to quiet down. 

“It doesn’t really like strangers,“ Phil explains. 

“But it’s a street! Streets don’t care who walks them. Streets are human-made things to walk on and drive on and they don’t simply reject you!“

“I told you, it lives.“

Dan throws his hands in the air in exasperation. “But that’s impossible!“

Phil looks at him strangely now, as if he’s just realized something he can’t believe. There’s hurt in his eyes and he retracts his hand from where it has still been on Dan’s shoulder. 

“You thought I was just some crazy person this entire time, didn’t you?“ His voice sounds icy. Dan flinches at the accusing tone, but he can’t deny it. He’s always been a bad liar, there’s no use in trying. Maybe he should defend himself, but the way Phil takes a step back from him as if Dan has just burned him let’s Dan know that there’s no point trying to smooth out ruffled feathers right now.

“I’m sorry,“ is the best he can say. 

And he genuinely is. After getting over Phil’s initial weirdness and realizing that he doesn’t mean him any harm, Dan has come to kind of like Phil. He’s gentle and kind and makes the impression of a good human being. 

”Were you just nice to me all this time because you thought I was mad?“

Now Phil’s the one who raises his voice. Dan’s trying to justify himself, words tumbling over his lips that are apologizes mixed with denial, but Phil doesn’t listen. He’s too angry. 

“I thought you were a good person, Dan.“

That one stings, because Dan is a good person - or at least, that’s what he thinks of himself. This is all just a misunderstanding, isn’t it? A big misunderstanding that led Dan to think that Phil’s mentally ill. How could Phil have expected Dan to believe that this goddamn street is something straight out of Weird fiction? 

Dan wants to say more, he wants to fix whatever just broke, but he doesn’t get the chance to. Phil walks away from him into the street and Dan tries to run after him, he really does, but two meters away from the corner his body comes to a stop, unable to move any further again. The only thing he can do is helplessly watch Phil disappear, his outline blurry the farther he’s away. Dan blinks, and when he opens his eyes again Phil is gone.   
___

As days pass by, Dan starts considering if he’s the one that should seek out help because of his mental state, because the more time goes by the more he’s convinced that none of what has happened can be real. There’s no such things as streets that are alive and move and reject you. Maybe it was all just a strange dream. Phil might have been a figment of his imagination. But then again his coworkers had seen him as well. At this point Dan honestly doesn’t know what to think anymore. What he does know though, is that he needs answers. He desperately needs them, because slowly he thinks that he’s the one going insane. 

On a Friday, he leaves home for work five minutes earlier than he usually would and finds himself in front of the street, trying to apologize to Phil again. To other people he must look like he’s already lost it, because he seems to be apologizing to thin air, but Dan couldn’t care less. When he’s about to turn away to proceed on his way to work, he thinks that he sees something flicker only meters away in the street, but when he turns around to look one more time there’s nothing there. With disappointment Dan turns away again and goes to work. 

He’s met with surprise on his way home. Not expecting it, he first doesn’t notice the figure leaning against the wall, one foot propped up against it and hands in his jacket pockets. Dan’s listening to music and his eyes are fixed on the pavement, so he almost screams in surprise when someone’s touching his shoulder. 

That someone turns out to be Phil. He’s still wearing the dark red beanie on his black hair and the same outfit as last time, including the glasses. 

Taking a deep breath and placing a hand over his rapidly beating heart, Dan looks at him accusingly. 

“You scared me half to death.“

“Don’t be so overdramatic.“ Phil still sounds hostile, but he’s not looking at Dan anymore like he’s the greatest disappointment walking the surface of the earth. That’s at least something for now. 

“I heard your apology in the afternoon and I talked to the street. It’s not really happy about it, but it agreed to let you in one time. Tomorrow at 1 p.m.. Be here on time and I’ll forgive you and show you my home. If not, then this is the last time you see me.“

Dan’s slightly overwhelmed by all of that, but he promises to be there because he owes Phil that much. Besides, he still can’t wrap his head around what’s been going on in his life lately, so maybe he’ll finally get answers to all his questions tomorrow.   
___

This time Dan shows up without pepper spray. The sky is covered in dark grey clouds that are promising rain. He’s ten minutes early. Phil waits for him by the corner already.

“You came.“

“Of course I did.“

“Let’s go inside, shall we?“

Phil goes first and Dan follows him. He’s almost expecting the rejection again, waiting for his body to stop working. The feeling never comes though. He steps on the street, and when he does, it feels strangely as if he’s walking through a waterfall, but instead of getting wet his entire body fills with warmth. Goosebumps appear on his arms and a shiver runs down his spine. Dan’s never felt anything like this before, but he can’t dwell on it for too long because what he sees in front of him takes all his attention. 

He’s in the street. It kind of looks like how it did from the outside, except it also doesn’t. The shop windows are all empty. The sign of the laundromat is still there, but there’s nothing inside the shop. There’s nothing in any of the shops. And the grey clouds that were threateningly hovering above his head are gone and replaced by clear blue sky. The colours are all off somehow. They are flashy and vibrant, and kind of hurt Dan’s eyes, and they make this empty street the most beautiful thing Dan’s ever seen. The air around Dan is buzzing as if filled with electricity. When Dan moves, it’s like walking through water, the air around him supporting his every movement. 

Not knowing what to say or do, Dan just stands still with an open mouth and takes in everything around him. There’s a big park at the end of the street that Dan’s never noticed when looking into it. None of the buildings quite match. Every lamp post is different and instead of electricity, there’s fire flickering in them although it’s broad daylight. There are no sounds. No cars driving or people talking or birds chirping. It’s completely quiet but it’s not scary. It’s the kind of silence that suggests comfort, that wraps you up as if it were a comfy blanket and makes you feel at ease. 

Phil’s grinning from ear to ear as he takes in Dan’s reaction.

“Do you like it?“ he asks almost anxiously. Dan looks at him and almost expects Phil to shine in vibrant colours too. Phil doesn’t sound or look different though. His skin is still pale and his hair black, and the clothes he is wearing are drastically standing out with their dull colours against the vibrant colours of this place. 

“It’s empty,“ is all Dan can come up with because that’s it. It’s empty, but it doesn’t feel empty. Dan’s head is spinning.

“Think of your favourite restaurant.“

“What?“

“Just do it.“

Dan isn’t sure what his favourite restaurant has to do with any of this, but he listens to Phil anyway. His favourite restaurant is a cozy small one down in Brighton that PJ and him go to every time Dan visits. It’s a vegetarian restaurant that changes its menu almost daily, and they sell the best cherry lemonade that Dan has ever tasted. Dan remembers the soft colours of the wall and the mismatched furniture that still kind of fits together.

“Oh, that’s pretty,“ he hears Phil say. Confused, he looks over at whatever has grabbed Phil’s attention, only to gasp when, instead of an empty shop window, he now looks inside the restaurant he’s just imagined. 

“That’s impossible,“ he exclaims loudly, not trusting his eyes. This can’t be real. This isn’t possible. Nothing makes sense anymore.

“Nothing is impossible here,“ Phil laughs, clearly delighted by Dan’s shocked yet ecstatic reaction, “Except for flying. Trust me, I’ve tried, but it sadly doesn’t work. Shall we go in?“

They take a seat by the table nearest the window and Dan looks around in wonder. He notices details missing inside, and as soon as he thinks of them they start to appear. Phil watches in amusement as Dan takes everything in with wide-eyed wonder and starts changing the colours of different things in the restaurant once he realizes it’s possible for him to do that too.

“Whatever you imagine, the street will make it happen.“

“But how does it work?“ Dan wants to know, fascinated by what he’s seeing. He’s back to thinking that maybe he’s dreaming or hallucinating because this can’t be real, but Phil is real and this place seems to be real and nothing makes sense anymore in Dan’s life. 

“Why don’t we eat something while I answer your questions?“ Phil proposes, and seconds after there’s food on the table. Dan looks at it skeptically, but Phil puts some of it on his plate without hesitation and starts eating. “I discovered this dish when I was in a small town in Azerbaijan. Go ahead, try it. I bet you’ll love it.“

Dan does in fact love it, whatever he’s eating. It’s deliciously seasoned and is one of the best things he’s ever tasted in his life. 

“So,“ Dan starts after swallowing the first few bites and gestures around, “What is this place? How did all of this happen?“ 

“It’s home,“ Phil answers with a smile. 

“But how did it become home?“ Dan pries, not satisfied with that answer because that’s not exactly what he was asking. But sometimes Phil doesn’t seem to understand. It’s odd, but also kind of endearing. 

Suddenly the carefree look on Phil’s face seems to fade away. There’s something in his eyes now, a memory that he doesn’t seem to want to remember. He’s swallowing roughly, his Adam’s apple bobbing.

“There was a bombing,“ he starts and Dan stills, eyes snapping up to Phil’s as he lowers his fork back to the plate, “and it was bloody. My leg got injured and was bleeding heavily and I just tried to find a quiet place in the midst of the commotion to sit down and evaluate the damage. So I stumbled into a side street that was empty. That’s where I passed out. The next time I woke up I wasn’t in the street I had passed out in anymore, but instead I was here.“ 

Phil gestures out of the window with a small smile on his face.

“My injury was gone, only a scar left behind. The street saved me and took me away. Later on I learned that even more bombs had been dropped on the city, the initial bombing only having been a distraction to make us believe it was over. If I had stayed where I was, passed out in an alley, I would have died that day. But I stumbled into this street and it decided to take me away. We’ve been inseparable ever since.“

Dan gets the feeling that the ground slightly vibrates and the walls gently shake. A soft rumbling sound can be heard. The street is purring at Phil’s words. 

“So when did you start traveling with the street?“ Dan asks curiously. 

“In 1940.“

He hears the words, but somehow Dan can’t make any sense of them. 1940. During the second World War. Surely Dan couldn’t have heard that correctly, right? No way. There’s absolutely no way. 

“I stepped into the street at the age of twenty-nine and what can I say? I haven’t aged a day since.“

Phil laughs at the dumbfounded expression on Dan’s face as Dan tries to wrap his mind around what he’s just heard. Phil hasn’t aged for seventy-six years now? What does that mean? Is he immortal? Does the street, this weird moving street that is filled to the brim with magic, give it’s only resident immortality?

“I think it’s because I only ever age when I step a foot out of the street to explore a new city.“

“Do you not leave often?“ Dan’s trying to change the topic now, mainly because it’s hard to imagine that he’s talking to someone over a hundred years old that only looks a little bit older than him. He’s reminded of vampires now. Does Phil have to do anything weird in order to maintain his youth? He’d rather not think about it too much. 

Phil’s gaze shifts away from Dan outside the window. He’s completely abandoned his food now and so has Dan. He’s not particularly hungry anyway. Answers are more important than food right now. He should make notes on the things he’s hearing. This stuff right here would probably make for a good story. 

“It’s a bit complicated to leave because you’re not always here. When the street travels you can’t exactly hop off.“ He chews on his bottom lip. “It sometimes gets a bit lonely to be honest, because the street is the only one I can talk to and it’s hard for it to communicate back.“ 

Phil lowers his head now and his eyes are hidden by his slightly too long fringe as he continues to speak. 

“And when I’m out in a city, most people don’t take notice of me or the street. They walk by as if the street has always existed in their lives. And when you try talking to them, they’ll just try to get rid of you as fast as possible, and when you speak the truth they’ll think you’re crazy. In some places no one even knows how to speak English good enough to understand me. It’s a bit of a lonely life.“

The purring of the street turns into growling and startles Dan. The sound seems to pull Phil out of his thoughts, and the far away look on his face is replaced by a forced smile that doesn’t quite reach his blue eyes. 

“Enough about all of that. Let’s do something fun, okay?“

The food and plates and cutlery on the table disappear into thin air and remind Dan - and how could he have even forgotten that - that anything in this room can change within seconds just because he wants it too. The walls - if he just thinks about changing their colours it should work, right? Within seconds they turn from white to blue, from blue to red, from red to green from green to- suddenly they are white again, and that’s not the colour Dan wanted them to be. 

“The street is my friend and therefore it will listen to my commands above yours. Changing colours this quickly made me sick, so I wanted them to be white again.“

Dan pouts. 

“That’s not fair,“ he complains and Phil sticks his tongue out at him. For someone who’s supposedly more than a hundred years old he still acts like a child. Dan wonders if the reason for that is that he’s most of the time alone. It has to be a lonely life like that, even with a magical street as your friend.

“You said you wanted to do something fun. What do you have in mind?“ 

Dan’s surprised to see Phil blush, his cheeks coloured a soft pink. Dan likes that look on him. 

“It’s something I’ve read and heard a lot about but I’ve never experienced it before, and I thought that you might be able to help me? Since you probably know how it works.“

He’s stumbling over his words now and Dan suspects the worst. What could Phil, the man who’s been confident while explaining to him that he’s living in a moving street without being scared of being judged, want from him that it makes him blush to even talk about it? Does he want something sexual from Dan? He probably hasn’t been laid in a while, but to be fair neither has Dan. Still, would Dan want to have sex with him if that’s what he’d ask? He’s good looking and it wouldn’t be Dan’s first time with a man, but he’s still way older which might be weird.

“I’ve never been to a fair before.“

The words are spoken so quickly that Dan almost has to ask him to repeat them again, but then he understands.

“Oh,“ is all he can say, because that is honestly one of the last things he’d expected to hear. 

“I know it’s stupid-“

“No, no it’s absolutely not,“ Dan interrupts him, “it’s just really not what I expected to hear. We can go to a fair. I just need the space to imagine it. It’s just probably going to look a bit different than the ones you know from your time.“

“I have a TV, I have a smartphone that I can’t use to call but I can at least play apps on. I know how to use the internet. I come from the past, Dan, but I’m not stuck in the past.“ He almost looks offended.

They leave the shop and when Dan looks back inside it’s empty, every trace of that little cozy restaurant in Brighton gone as if it’s never been there in the first place. And maybe it’s never really been there anyway. Dan’s not even sure what reality is at this point anymore, because everything he thought he'd known in the past is obviously not true anymore. 

Phil takes him to the park at the end of the street. It’s at a crossroad, a front of houses on the other side, and with every step closer to that crossroad he feels like his body is becoming heavier. 

“What’s over there?“ he asks. He can still move effortlessly now, but it feels as if something is weighing him down. 

“It’s the end of the street. You can’t go too close, or else it’s hard to move and from experience I can tell you it’s really not fun to try to get back again once you’re over there. It takes forever to get enough distance to move easier again.“

“I thought the street was your friend. That’s kind of rude if it traps you.“

Phil looks away and doesn’t answer. The street growls again, vibrating under the soles of Dan’s shoes. 

“Please don’t make it angry.“

There’s almost something desperate in Phil’s pleading voice, as if he’s scared of what the street will do if Dan angers it. He’s almost tempted to try it out, but too scared of the consequences. Instead he studies the park and tries to remember the last fair he’s been to. It’s been a while since he’s been there, but he still remembers the carousel with the horses, the playing booths, the rollercoaster and the water ride with the plastic tree trunks. There are bumper cars and food stands and the smell of roasted almonds and cotton candy wafts through the air. A small ferris wheel with passenger cars just big enough for two people to sit in. It all appears before Dan’s eyes the second he thinks of it.

Something’s still missing though. 

“Is it possible to change day into night?“ Dan asks. 

Phil’s too in awe to realize for a second that Dan’s even talked, but then he nods and within seconds the sky turns from light blue to purple to dark. There are no stars in the sky, Dan is surprised to find out, but then again this place technically doesn’t exist. The air around him still feels electric and the old-fashioned street lamps are the only source of light on the street now.

Dan looks back at the fair now hidden in the dark, and he remembers the sparkling lights in all colours, the different types of music coming from the different attractions, and when he remembers the sound of the crowd even that manifests itself somehow although there’s not a soul to be seen. It’s kind of creepy, actually, but Phil gasps next to him and Dan thinks that he’s done a good job. 

He looks over to Phil, and the twinkling in his blue eyes is almost brighter than the fair itself. 

“So, what do you want to do first?“

Phil doesn’t answer. Instead he grabs him by the hand and pulls him to the bumper cars first, a childlike expression on his face that makes Dan laugh as he stumbles along, Phil’s hand in his feeling soft and warm. 

It’s like living inside a movie. Phil wins Dan a teddy bear, although it can barely be called winning because he never manages to hit all the cans with three shots only, so he just jumps over the counter and grabs a stuffed animal to give to Dan because there’s no one to stop him anyway. Dan blushes upon receiving it. It’s a bit odd because that’s dating behaviour, but Phil is so genuinely excited that Dan doesn’t want to point it out. Besides he knows that as soon as he leaves this street, the teddy bear will disappear again. It’s not real, although it feels as soft as a real teddy bear and it weighs as much as a real teddy bear and Dan doesn’t want to think about this too much, because just like this teddy bear this street can disappear any day, taking Phil with it again, leaving Dan with nothing but memories of the odd man. 

Could it be possible to take Phil away from the street somehow? To have him escape and live his life with Dan in London instead? 

Phil looks good in the colourful lights. He’s left his beanie by the bumper cars and his black hair is slightly ruffled from the wind of the rollercoaster. He’s talking so much; sharing memories about past places he’s visited. How he charmed a girl into gifting him a croissant in Paris once. How one time the street appeared in a zoo in Vienna and he spent his days and nights with the animals. How Times Square glistened in New York City and how he snuck into a Broadway show through stage door and watched it from behind the curtains with people giving him odd looks but never asking who he was or how he got there. He’s seen the Beatles live and Elvis Presley too, but he missed the first time a man had set foot on the moon as the street was traveling at that moment and he is still bitter about that today. Dan can’t stop listening, fascinated by the man and everything he’s experienced in his life so far. 

They get cotton candy and when they are finished eating it their fingers are sticky as are their lips. It’s when Dan yawns that for the first time he realizes how tired he is. He doesn’t know how much time has passed already but it must have been hours since he first stepped foot into the street. If the concept of time works in this street like it does in Dan’s world, it must probably be close to Midnight by now. Dan has a doctor’s appointment first thing tomorrow morning and although he really doesn’t want to leave, he should do so. But he’s scared that if he does, if he leaves this street, it will disappear along with Phil. Dan doesn’t want that to happen yet. He wants to spend more time here with him, hear more stories and introduce him to more things he’s never done before. 

Sitting on a bench near the carousel they can hear its soft music playing. 

“I should probably leave now.“

The intensity of Phil’s answer shocks Dan.

“No!“

It’s loud and violent and leaves no room to argue. Phil’s eyes are wide and panicky now and before Dan can answer he leans over and kisses him on the lips, his own still sticky and tasting of cotton candy. 

Dan pulls back in shock and stares at him wide-eyed.

“What the fuck, Phil?“

Hands are grabbing his and holding on a bit too tight and suddenly the ease Dan has felt all day is gone. He’s no longer comfortable here. Phil’s sudden strange way of acting makes him feel uneasy. He tries to pull his hand away but Phil doesn’t let go. 

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,“ Phil repeats over and over again, “but you can’t go yet. Please don’t go!“

“You can’t just kiss people like that without warning,“ Dan says. He wants to sound angry, but his words come out as weak when he looks into Phil’s eyes and sees the fear there. Why is there fear in Phil’s eyes?

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to. I just- please don’t go yet. Just a few more minutes. We haven’t been on the ferris wheel yet. Please? I’m sorry, I just need you to stay. I didn’t mean it like that. Please, I’m sorry.“

Dan sighs. Phil sounds like a child begging his parent for five more minutes on the playground. He’s still a bit shaken from the kiss, but Phil looks like he genuinely regrets it. 

“Okay. One round on the ferris wheel, alright? But then I really need to go. I can come back another time.“

Phil immediately looks relieved and pulls Dan up by the hand, but he seems weirdly nervous. He’s mumbling to himself under his breath now and for the first time in a while Dan gets this feeling in his gut again that maybe Phil’s not quite safe to be around. There has to be something a bit off with someone who’s been isolated from the rest of the world for this long, right? Maybe it’s a good idea to not come back to visit him for a while after this. 

They walk over to the ferris wheel and sit next to each other, the teddy bear on Dan’s lap. Phil doesn’t talk anymore now, but he still holds on to Dan’s hand. Dan wants to pull away, but as soon as he tries Phil tightens his grip on him. Dan’s heart is beating uncomfortably fast in his ribcage. 

The ferris wheel starts to move slowly. Dan tries to make it go faster just by thinking about it, but it won’t listen to him. He wonders if Phil is the one making it go slower, canceling out Dan’s thoughts with his own. When they are at the highest point, the ferris wheel comes to a stop.

“What? What’s happening?“

“I’m sorry.“

Dan whips his head around to look at Phil, whose grip on Dan’s hand is now really painful. He’s biting his lips and looking guilty as slowly Dan realizes that the lights beneath them are turning off. But when he looks down he realizes that they aren’t just going out but disappearing. The booths disappear. The rollercoaster disappears. The carousel disappears. Soon the only thing still standing is the ferris wheel and Dan’s breath speeds up as he slowly realizes what’s happening, but he doesn’t understand what that means. 

The air around him is vibrating now and he feels a bit dizzy. 

“What did you do?“ he screams in a high-pitched voice and Phil flinches. The teddy bear disappears from Dan’s lap into thin air. 

“I’m sorry. It’s just that I like you a lot. No one’s ever been this nice to me before.“

“I asked what you did,“ Dan screams but Phil can’t answer anymore before the ferris wheel is gone. 

Dan’s falling. He’s falling and he’s waiting for his body to hit the ground, for the pain. He’s screaming but Phil isn’t, just silently holding on to his hand. 

The impact never comes.  
___

Dan’s falling and there seems to be no end.

Just falling. Falling. Falling.

And everything is dark and cold but his right hand feels warm, and he can see nothing and the entire Universe at once, and he feels nothingness and every emotion at the same time. And he knows who he is but he can’t remember who he is. His name is Daniel James Howell, he’s 23 years old and he was raised near London, but he can’t remember the name of his mother or who he can call his friends, and he knows there’s an entire life he has forgotten, because it couldn’t be that he, Daniel James Howell age twenty-three years, has not lived.  
___

There’s a man next to him who looks oddly familiar, panting like he’s just ran a marathon, and Dan blinks, and the man is beautiful, and it takes Dan a while to realize that they are holding hands, and he’s quick to try and pull away, but the long pale fingers intertwined with his hold on tighter, don’t allow him to let go. Dan pulls hard enough until they finally do.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I didn’t know if it would actually work, but I’ve always been lonely and I just had to try, please Dan, I’m sorry. The street said I was to take you with me or never see you again and I didn’t want to be alone anymore.“

And the stranger knows his name, but Dan doesn’t know his, and he doesn’t know why the stranger apologizes, and his eyes flit over his surroundings and he realises that he doesn’t know them either, has never been here before - or at least he can’t remember, but remembering seems to be awfully hard lately - and the stream of apologies from the stranger next to him continues and never stops.

“I- I don’t understand,“ Dan says quietly, his voice hoarse as if he hasn’t used it in a while. Finally, the man next to him shuts up and their eyes meet, and Dan is surprised by the amount of guilt he finds in the blue of the man’s familiar looking orbs.

“You’ll remember eventually, and when you do, you’ll hate me. But until then,“ he smiles at Dan; a smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes, it looks fake and hollow, and Dan doesn’t know who he is anymore or who this stranger is or where he is and it’s scary and his hands are shaking and his heart is racing, “Why don’t we explore this city for now?“ 

The stranger next to him reaches for his hand again and links their fingers together. Dan wants to pull away. He doesn’t know this guy. He doesn’t want to hold a stranger’s hand. He wants to go home and call his parents or get ready for work, although he doesn’t know where work is but he knows that he has work. And he doesn’t know who his parents are, but he knows that he calls them every few days because he cares about them and they care about him. He wants to go back to his life, the one that he barely remembers. He likes his life. What happened to it? Where is he? Adrenaline is thrumming through his veins as his fingers tremble in the stranger’s grip. 

“Let’s explore it together.“

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed it. :) x


End file.
